Several of our members have been to the Louwman museum in The Hague, the Netherlands.
https://www.louwmanmuseum.nl/?sc_lang=en
It is regarded as probably one of the top 3 motoring museums in Europe these days. It has a truly amazing permanent collection. Very welll curated and displayed. All signage in Dutch and English. It’s located in a purpose build museum building the outskirts of the Hague.
Until recently we lived about 6-7 km from the museum. I have visited in the past and wrote about it too. To get an impression on the overall museum and its collection have a look here:
https://www.louwmanmuseum.nl/?sc_lang=en
Also, throughout the year they have various special exhibitions. Not to long ago they had a special exhibition about the Dutch Police Porsche Group. Everybody my age in the Netherlands remembers these guys. They patrolled the Dutch motorway in open Porsches!
More recently they announced a special exhibition on the Mercedes Silver Arrows.
See
https://www.louwmanmuseum.nl/Nieuws/...the-1950s.aspx
If you want to go and see it, better hurry, as it is on only until 2nd of September 2018!
I am a huge fan of the racing cars of this era, and I just love the Mercedes ones. So obviously I had to go and see it. Went with my old neighbour Harry who is also quite the petrol head.
Photographing cars in museum is always a bit of a pain. Lights are awful, lots of reflections, can’t get near enough etc. It’s a little better here in the Lawman museum. These special exhibitions are always situated in the main entrance hall and that has half decent natural light. You can get up close to the cars, without touching them. And you are allowed to use a tripod. Which in my experience is very rare these days in museums.
In truth I spend more time on my photography than at looking at the car, so I might have got some of the details wrong. But I’m sure there must be other Silver Arrow fans on the forum who will put me right or will be able to provide additional details!
So here goes:
In all they have Six Mercedes on display and one car transporter of the era. More about that last onelater.
Look at this cockpit. I know it is a bit corny, but compare to say a Tesla and you can only wonder what the automative world is coming too. Boring is the word that springs to mind,
From the front the 300SL, 1952, 170HP, topspeed 230 km/h. This car has chassis number 2 the oldest SL in existence today. Has won countless races. It was called a racing sports car.
Onwards came a more streamlined racing car W196R On its first race it achieved victory driven by Fangio and Kling. An eight cilinder in line, 2,5L, 256H, maximum speed well over 300 km/h. This was in 1954-1955!
This is how many people will remember the Silver Arrows: Fangio won in this car the GP in the Netherlands in 1955 at the circuit of Zandvoort! The circuit is still there, but we havent seen GPs for several decades!
This is probably the version how many people will remember a Mercedes Gull Wing. Built from 1954 - 1957. This is a very special SLR version. Most expensive inn the world.
And a somewhat different version, in green rather than silver though:
This was probably my favourite display. It is known as the Blue Wonder. It was quite the sensation in its time. Engine from the 300SL and the frame from a 300S. It was capable of speed up to 170 km/h. Look at that curvature at the back of the cabin. Work of art!
Some close up details, showing the beauty of these cars. Both from an engineering and an aesthetic point of view these cars are in league of their own!
And of course, those Gull Wings door are hugely photogenic!
A bit of an impression on how they sat up the exhibition. Essentially all six cars lined up in two groups of three.
Cant get enough of those Gull Wings!
Enjoy and please feel free to fill in on more details on these cars!
Jeroen
Gosh, what magnificent cars. Thanks for sharing Jeroen! Amazing pics too :thumbs up.
It's beautiful machines like these that make Mercedes what Mercedes is. It's also this history & heritage that will always keep the three-pointed star above the others. Forget Lexus, even BMW & Audi don't have this kind of pedigree.
What gorgeous cars. Timeless classics.
Stunning.
I am familiar with the name Silver Arrows as a racing team but did not know it was an all Mercedes 300SL series that lined up the fleet.
Not all of them seem to have adjustable steering racks.
I will gladly trade a Tesla cockpit for an interior like the one seen in these cars. I love lots of analog dials.
Man..300kmph in the 50's. I do not think my brain has the ability to focus fast enough to deal with even 200kmph today.
God dang! If this is not a time machine, I don't know what is.
